1. Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to network computing, and, more particularly, to peer-to-peer instant messaging systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional peer-to-peer instant messaging systems and methods provide means for encrypting, signing, and partial non-repudiation. Specifically, encryption ensures that the communication between n number of systems is private allowing only the intended recipients access. Digital signing offers both identifiable marking as well as data integrity, whereby a first system can sign a data set and a second system can verify that the data is the same as when it was signed and what entity signed the data. Non-repudiation occurs when, at a given point in time, a given data set and its origin are known. A system supporting non-repudiation can prove that a given data set has originated from user A on system A and that the data is unchanged.
The conventional techniques support a variety of means for securing information and, in part, non-repudiation. Non-repudiation occurs when all participants agree that something is true. For example, when one attempts to buy a house, several people involved in the transaction present documents, and signatures are exchanged and witnesses notarize the event. Accordingly, the resulting set of documents cannot be legally repudiated. This is critical for there to be legally binding documents. In the digital realm, one may see similar activity ensuring that the intended recipient only receives messages from a particular source, but often the conventional systems fail to ensure that a particular message in its propagation is maintained in tact from origination to receipt.
As an analogy, a bank cannot change the interest rate on the contract once everyone has signed and agreed to the terms of a mortgage contract. However, a first person may be able to take an email that was sent (encrypted and signed) by a second person and modify the message before the first person forwards it to a third person (or back to the second person). While, there is a general trust that the first person would represent the message as it was originally presented by the second person and not amend it. However, the digital world makes it exceedingly easy for one to alter digital content. In the collaboration space, and specifically, instant messaging, there are systems that attempt to provide non-repudiation, but these systems tend to rely on trust. Specifically, in the case of instant messaging, the ability to ensure both clients save the exact same transcript (i.e., digital document) generally does not exist. Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements to non-repudiation message exchange in network computing.